SANDALS AND BEACHES RESORTS
LAUNCHES UK TOUR OPERATOR
8th March 2017 - Luxury all-inclusive hotel specialists, Sandals and Beaches Resorts, will launch to the trade a new fully protected UK tour operator under the name of Unique Caribbean Holidays Limited (UCHL), as of 10th April 2017.
The move sees Sandals and Beaches Resorts selling fully protected Luxury Included® holidays directly to trade for the first time.
Karl Thompson, Managing Director for Sandals & Beaches Resorts in the UK & Europe comments: “Our relationship with our trade partners has always been at the forefront of our UK business model and therefore setting up as a tour operator was a natural step for us to further develop closer and more meaningful commercial and marketing partnerships”.
Commercial agreements are already in place with key travel agency groups and the news has received high praise from the industry, Global Travel Group’s Commercial Director Cherie Richards comments, “We have worked with Sandals for many years and are thrilled that they will also be operating as a UK tour operator dealing directly with agents. Here at The Global Travel Group our members have benefited from the long standing relationship with Sandals and we are looking forward to strengthening the relationship further”
Thompson adds, “In essence the new tour operation will allow us to have greater control over our destiny and enable us to offer so much more value to agents, from our new sophisticated booking engine combined with our enhanced and highly experienced call centre team, to access to a new training programme and industry workshops at our state-of-the-art Sandals Luxury Travel Store in London.
Another benefit of this new tour operation for our trade partners is our continued price parity commitment, meaning that every price that a consumer is able to book with Sandals Resorts direct is always available and commissionable to our travel agency partners.”
Sandals and Beaches’ investment in bespoke technology, via a new booking engine developed with leading travel technology provider Traveltek, will allow for travel agents to book online – two years in advance if needed, as well manage their bookings with access to a flight and price availability calendar, thanks to the advanced functionality. UCHL will also have a 24 hour helpline and bespoke agent portal.
As well as offering over 300 fam trip places throughout the year, Sandals Resorts will also roll out new incentive schemes, available to all agents making bookings with any tour operator, including a special launch initiative which can be revealed as follows:
Win a weeks’ Luxury Included® stay in a Luxurious Butler Suite at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort, Jamaica
- Six stays up for grabs
- Incentive booking period: 10th April – 5th May
- Bookings must be registered with the Sandals Agency Sales team
With unrivalled product innovations within the Caribbean, including the launch of the Caribbean’s first Over the Water Villas, Over Water Wedding Chapel and Over Water Bar, as well as the newly re-branded Sandals South Coast in Jamaica, the all new Sandals Royal Barbados opening in December 2017 and the announcement of Sandals’ fourth St Lucia resort – agents will never be short of exciting Sandals and Beaches product to engage their clients.
The marketing and commercial partnership with tour operator Funway Holidays changes as of 10th April 2017, as their licence agreement expires then.
“The partnership that Sandals had with Funway was a highly successful one for both brands that lasted for ten years, and we are thankful for their support. We are pleased that Funway will continue to feature Sandals and Beaches Resorts within their extensive Caribbean and U.S.A portfolio.”
The Sandals & Beaches (UCHL) brochure will be hitting shelves on 10th April.
To find out more about training and to speak to the Sandals and Beaches Agency Sales Team, please contact 0207 590 0210 or visit www.sellingsandals.co.uk.
